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Smith & Telfer Collection

The photography of the studio of Washington G. Smith (1828-1893) and Arthur J. Telfer (1859-1954) documented Cooperstown, New York and its people for nearly a century. A unique record of the changes, triumphs and tragedies of a small, rural region of upstate New York was documented through the lens of these two photographers, both in the studio and out in the community. Of the nearly 54,000 glass plate negatives in this collection, several thousand document up to four generations of hundreds of families from the area. Businesses, community organizations, hotels, hospitals, summer camps, schools, the trolley and railroad lines, recreation, celebrations and local scenery are all recorded during this momentous time.. A selection of this vast collection is on view here.